Well I actually got a chance to go shoot a bit yesterday although the north wind was a bit chilly.
One of my buddies at work has a .243 and a .308 that I was able to test out. Now either Im getting tougher in my old age or my .270 possibly did not fit me well at all.
Because Neither gun was harsh on my shoulder but I did like the reduced recoil of the .243 a little bit, it was a great difference but it was enough to notice.
With that being said, I would opt for any round with a varmant barrel and a good recoil pad that I could use for Hog-Deer- possibly coyotes at long distances......looking at that info is the 25-06 the viable choice because it's a flat shooter (will it still punch a hogs shoulder) or would it be the 7mm-08?
Hmmm after looking at some manufacturers sights it looks like heavy barrels are usually not offered in these calibers.
__________________
Henry Big Boy- .44 mag
Bushmaster AR15
Savage 110FP- .25-06
Marlin 1895GS
__________________
"As an american I am not so shocked that Obama was given the Nobel Prize without any accomplishments to his name, because America gave him the White House based on the same credentials." - Newt Gingrich
hotled
If you are not opposed to a single shot, you can set a T/C Encore up with any barrel weight from standard to full bull. I would personally recommend something from the T/C Custom Shop or a custom barrel maker, but that is just me. Do you have any idea what you are intending to spend? I don't own a 25-06, but my hunting buddy shoots it in a Remington Sendero (which would fit your bill for a heavy barrel too) and kills hogs and deer with ease. You might want to look into a Remington Sendero as well as the Encore.
Seems to me that, if you liked shooting your buddy's .243, it fits your specifications pretty darn well. It's potent enough to take deer anywhere in the state, out to about 300 yards. If you're worried about whether it's got enough juice for big hogs, go to the hog hunting forum and check out the porkers that Guess and his wife have shot using .243's. It's a sweet rifle. If you do your part, it'll take down anything in the state.
I have never looked at Tikka rifles before, but from the ones I looked at on gunbroker, that seems to be an excellent choice. Good luck with your choice and post back how you like it.
I'm not a fan of heavy barrels, either. They add a lot of weight without adding much benefit. Just more weight to lug around, slower to shoulder, and harder to hold steady andshoot off-hand.
__________________
You may beat the rap, but you won't beat the ride!
Yeah, if you get a mild caliber like the .243, there's really no need for the heavy barrel. There's some recoil benefit with big calibers. But, the .243 is mild enough that you don't really need it. My 13 year old son has a .243 Remington Youth Model 7. Very lightweight rifle, and still a very mild kicker. Heavies aren't bad if all you do is drive up to your blind and sit for four hours, but, if you do any walking around, they get a bit tedious.
RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
